Alice White
Did you know that the horse helped man to invent donuts? In those days, when horse mail was developed on the American continent, riders came up with the idea of making buns with a hole in the middle – such a product could be neatly picked up if it was not possible to wash your hands.
Man owes a lot to this noble animal, because from the Neolithic era to the present day, the horse has helped us in economic matters, made it possible to travel long distances, given communication with itself, and even healed. These and some other interesting facts about horses are presented in this article.
Equine iQ
It has been proven that in terms of intelligence among animals, horses are in fifth place, ahead of a dog. Horses analyze human behavior, understand when it is necessary to subordinate their will to the owner. They are amazingly loyal animals, capable of carrying the owner out of trouble.
Horses quickly become attached to a person, create strong alliances with each other. They know how to “be friends” with cats and dogs. They are especially sympathetic to cats – it was repeatedly noticed that horses listen carefully to the purr of domestic tigers, allow them to rub on their legs and even climb onto their backs.
Horses communicate with each other in body language – they use different neighing timbres to transmit signals in the herd. If you show a horse a photograph of its relative, then you will observe an interesting reaction: the animal will begin to neigh quietly, sniff the photograph. The fact is that the ability to distinguish colors and peripheral vision helps a horse recognize each other even in a picture. And, by the way, horses see colored dreams.
At the same time, the horse catches aggression towards itself well, feels human fear, therefore, in an embittered state and with bad manners, it is better not to approach the animal. A mile away it smells a horse and alcoholic vapors, so a drunk person takes serious risks.
Hippotherapy
The “horse treatment”, scientifically – hippotherapy is gaining more and more popularity. This direction is based, first of all, on communication with the horse, both physical and psychological. Riding on the back of a horse has a positive effect on the human nervous system, develops communication and friendship skills, and relieves stress.
Hippotherapy is especially effective when working with children with autism or cerebral palsy. Horses help them feel their body, become more confident, and, most importantly, be open to the world. Surprisingly, communicating with a horse, a person gets rid of many phobias, worries, fears, and stiffness.
Outdoor exercise puts a powerful load on the muscles, improves posture, and strengthens the body as a whole. An interesting fact is that grooms and those who often communicate with horses are at half the risk of developing diabetes.
Horses and Human History
The great and terrible Caligula often brought his horse to the Senate and consulted with him during discussions. The ruler believed that his horse was smarter than all the advisers put together. The horse took part in all battles with Richard the Lionheart.
The horse’s loyalty and bravery were legendary, it defended its owner from spears and died bravely in battle. Alexander the Great idolized his horse Bucephalus, considering it his best friend. In the place where Bucephalus fell on the battlefield, the commander founded a city and named it in its honor.
Many stories from real life and fiction describe horses that traveled thousands of kilometers to live next to their owner. Faithful, beautiful in appearance, and with a rich inner world, horses have lived side by side with a person for many centuries.
This is more than a relationship between a pet and an owner, it is a friendship between two amazing creatures of nature. And these are perhaps not all interesting facts about horses, we will learn more and more about these amazing and interesting animals over time.
